Issues & Top Priorities

I’ve worked as a teacher for twenty years. It’s not just my career – it’s my passion.

Support Our Teachers

Teachers are professionals and should be treated as such. They should be trusted to make decisions for their classrooms without the interference of politicians. Teachers should not have to worry about being fined or losing their licenses. We should pay our teachers for their educational training and years of experience. We must consider that a large number of teachers are of retirement age, and the numbers of college students choosing to pursue a career in education is declining. We do not have enough certified teachers who are willing to teach to cover all the classrooms in Arizona. However, we must have highly trained / prepared teachers in the classroom.

Fully Funding Our Schools

Investing in public education isn’t just good for children – it’s good for our state’s future. Strong school systems will encourage businesses to relocate to (or remain in) Arizona.  Businesses demand a well-educated workforce, and their employees want their children to attend great schools.

Public education should be fully-funded, regardless of where the school is located in our state. This past spring we passed a budget that included a $526 million increase to base funding, additional funding for special education and an opportunity weight that acknowledges that it costs more to educate children living in poverty. Within the next year, we will need to reform or repeal the Aggregate Expenditure Limit to allow schools to access this additional funding.

Mental Health

The pandemic has negatively impacted social and emotional learning and the overall mental health of our children.  In the last decade, there have been a large number of young people who have died of suicide in the Southeast Valley.  East Valley legislators, including myself, have worked on bills to help this serious issue including: suicide prevention training for students grades 6-12 as well as staff; mental health parity – which would require insurers to cover mental health as well as physical health. Arizona ranks last in the nation with 716 students per counselor.  I’ve introduced bills to increase the number of school counselors and school social workers on campus. In this year’s budget, $50 million was allocated to “School Safety”. I helped negotiate including mental health providers on this new line item.

Voting is a fundamental right in our democracy.

Arizona has traditionally led the way in making voting accessible and providing the constitutional right of citizens to propose ballot initiatives. I will fight to ensure voting remains fair, that people eligible to vote remain on the rolls and that votes are tabulated accurately and in a timely manner.

We need to protect water, air, and land for future generations and for the economic sustainability of our state.

As a desert-dweller, I recognize that water is a very precious resource. The Groundwater Management Act of 1980 was an innovative piece of legislation that required the conservation of groundwater in five high-use areas of the state. In 2020 we passed the Drought Contingency Plan which was an agreement with the other Colorado River Basin states. This session we passed the Arizona Water Authority with strong bipartisan support. In addition to water augmentation, we have included water conservation measures to the bill. The work on this topic is far from finished.

We must also focus on clean air. Particle pollution and ozone levels in our cities need to be reduced – Maricopa County currently has an ‘F’ from the American Lung Association for ozone and high particulate matter pollution.

With more sunshine than any other state in the nation, Arizona has the potential to be the leading state in the nation for clean energy and solar power. Our economy can benefit greatly from high-paying jobs in the solar industry as well as the money saved by residents and businesses from the use of solar power.

I’d like to respectfully acknowledge, and thank the Tohono O’odham Nation, upon whose traditional land LD 13 resides. I know I can learn much from the traditional stewards of this land.

Abortion Rights

I believe very strongly that the decision to have an abortion is a deeply personal and private decision. I don’t think the government should interfere with that decision.

Access to Healthcare

Nobody should go bankrupt because they’re sick.

I will fight to protect Arizonans’ access to quality, affordable health care—especially our most vulnerable. I will work to protect the right to basic coverage, like emergency services and maternity care. During the 54th Legislature, I supported a bill that protects individuals with pre-existing conditions. I also supported Association Health Plans as a cost-effective way for small businesses to provide health care coverage for their employees.

We must also encourage preventive care, so that small problems don’t become worse. We must equip people to make smart choices about their own health and well-being.

The cost of prescription drugs-even with health insurance-has become too high for some individuals. Specifically, the cost of a vial of insulin is outrageous. I am hopeful that this is an area we can work on in the upcoming year.

Smart, targeted reforms like these will help make coverage affordable and accessible for individuals and small businesses alike. It’s all about striking a smart balance between promoting personal responsibility, and protecting those who need the most help.

Finally, we should recognize that many of our rural communities and tribal nations are lacking medical providers. This spring, we funded a program to increase nursing training in the state.

I believe that education and job development go hand-in-hand. Businesses need a well-educated workforce, and their employees expect to live in a community with strong schools for their children. We have many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and Career and Technical Education programs (CTE) in our high schools. A great example of one of these programs is the Cyber Security Academy at Basha High. Students graduate with industry-recognized certificates.

Another route some may choose is apprenticeship programs offered by the unions around the valley. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the apprenticeship training facilities, and I was very impressed by the quality of the programs. Graduates of these programs have specialized training and are able to earn high wages upon completion.

Arizona residents want jobs where they can earn a competitive wage to keep up with the rising costs of healthcare, childcare, higher education and housing. They should not have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

I am in favor of tax credits that have positive impacts on the community. Angel Investments and the Qualified Facilities R & D tax credits have allowed local businesses in our district to expand. This has brought thousands of high-paying jobs and an incredible amount of capital improvements to our district. This encourages bright, young people to stay in Arizona rather than seeking employment elsewhere.

Our children deserve to learn in a safe environment.

As adults, we owe it to them to provide this and have a constructive, respectful discussion about guns and school safety.

I support the Second Amendment.

I do not want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens who use them for hunting, recreation or protecting their families.

I do, however, believe we need to strengthen background checks to keep these weapons from people with a history of committing domestic abuse, violence or with serious mental illness.

I am in favor of implementing common sense measures to improve school security and protect our communities from gun violence.